Spurs cruise past Huddersfield with Juventus to come

HEUNG-Min Son struck his 17th goal of the campaign this afternoon as Spurs comfortably cruised past Huddersfield at Wembley.

The result moves Tottenham up to third – at least until Liverpool play tomorrow – and was done at such a pace that they were able to play with one eye on Wednesday nights Champions League show down versus Juventus.

Mauricio Pochettino praised his teams ability to get ahead and see out a determined if limited opponent in the shape of Huddersfield

He said: “It is always tough in the Premier League but this was a professional performance and we are in a good position in the table.”

It was Pochettino’s 100th league win since he took charge at Spurs and his players are unbeaten in the league at Wembley since the opener against Chelsea in August.

He added: “We can say Wembley is our home – and that is so important for the team. When we played here last season in the Champions and Europa League, it was a strange and difficult feeling. Now for the fans and the team, they feel good here, they feel positive.”

And as he ponders which of his in form squad will make the cut for Wednesday, he said he hoped above all his players would relish the experience as they try to reach a Champions League quarter final.

He added: “We will enjoy it. We have fought to be there and play in these types of games.”

From the off, Spurs looked like they meant business and Huddersfield relied on a mixture of desperate defending and luck to keep a tenuous toe hold on the match in the opening period.

Harry Kane was inches away on three occasions in the first 20 minutes of adding to his tally of 24 league goals this term, while a Christian Eriksen free kick spun off the wall and scraped the far post.

But it was Son, who was on fire whenever he received the ball, who got the opener – and what an opener it was.

He’d been leading his marker Florent Hadergjonal a merry dance on the left – and it was through his speed and trickery that Spurs took the lead on 27. Dele Alli sprung the offside trap with a weighted ball for Son to latch on to. He had ground to cover and plenty of time to decide what to do, and used it to deadly effect.

As Town keeper Jonas Lossl came to close him down, Son sold him the perfect dummy and finished well with his weaker foot.

It was all Spurs deserved as it had been one way traffic throughout the opening 45. Huddersfield must have been relieved to go in to the break just one behind.

The game was made safe on 55: Kane went wide on the right, dragged the defence with him and watched the space open up as Son zipped forward. The number 10’s perfectly placed cross gave Son time to stride on to it and guide his header home. The pair made it look easy – but it was absolutely brilliant stuff.

It was then a case of how much Spurs wanted to stretch themselves, with an eye on their next challenge as the season hots up. Huddersfield offered huff and puff as they faced a constant procession of Spurs possession, but it felt like Spurs were toying with their opponents and content to see things out.

Kane went close with a miscued volley from an Eriksen corner, Alli nearly found a way through after some neat work by Moussa Sissoko to create space, and Erik Lamela also hovered dangerously every time the ball went forward.

It was comprehensive, controlled and professional – a valuable three more points on the board without getting out of second gear, and keeps Spurs very much in the mix as the pressure builds in the race for the top four.